Episode 174: Ben Gordelier – Musician, Producer, Drums/Samples/Percussion for the Paul Weller band…

What a delight it is to have Paul Weller band member – Ben Gordelier – join me on my podcast.

Ben chats about his discovery of music, love of The Beatles and Laurel & Hardy, being “brought up in a music rehearsal studio” and working as a drummer and producer since his early teens… even going on his first European tour at the age of 16!…

Since 2012, Ben has been playing drums, percussion and performing samples with Paul Weller – from the Sonik KIcks gigs at The Roundhouse to gigs across the UK, Europe, Japan, USA, Australia… that stunning Other Aspects gig at the Royal Festival Hall through to the latest tours, festivals and TV performances…

He has played a key role on many of Paul’s albums too – starting with The Attic on Sonik Kicks, with more input on Saturns Pattern, A Kind Revolution, On Sunset and Fat Pop….

We’ve had plenty of singles and b-sides in that time too – including the cover of Birthday for Paul McCartney’s 70th with Brand New Toy and Flame Out as other great examples…

Together with Andy Crofts and others, Ben is also part of the band The Moons – releasing 4 studio albums including 2020’s fabulous Pocket Melodies – recorded at Studio 2 Abbey Road.

Any spare time he has is spent in his home studio recording drums for various artists and mixing bands from all over the globe… including previous podcast guests – P.P. Arnold, Declan O’Rourke, Steve Ellis and Steve Brookes…

Click your preferred podcast platform to listen…

Some Photos…

A Playlist… Some selected highlights…

2012 – Paul Weller – Sonik Kicks

Ben plays drums on The Attic

2014 – Paul Weller – Brand New Toy (Single)

Record Store Day 2014 Release… Also part of More Modern Classics…

2015 – Paul Weller – Saturns Pattern

Ben plays drums and percussion on all songs bar Long Time.
He also played drums on single B-sides / deluxe release tracks – Sun Goes, I Spy, Open Road – along with I Work In The Clouds and Praise If You Wanna (for which he received a writing credit with Andy Crofts, Paul Weller, Steve Cradock and Steve Pilgrim).

2015 – Paul Weller – Jools Holland – Hootenanny

2017 – Paul Weller – A Kind Revolution

Ben plays drums and percussion on every song.
He also plays percussion on single B-sides – I’ve Never Found A Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)

2019 – Paul Weller – True Meanings

Ben plays drums on Track 5 – Old Castles and Track 6 – What Would He Say?

2019 – Paul Weller – Other Aspects – Live at the Royal Festival Hall

Performed on 11th and 12th October 2018 at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
Conducted by Hannah Peel, all songs performed by Paul Weller, Steve Cradock, Steve Pilgrim, Andy Crofts, Ben Gordelier and Tom Heel (with some special guests).

2020 – Paul Weller – On Sunset

Ben plays drums and percussion on every song – whilst also playing violin on Village (story in the podcast) and electric guitar with Paul Weller on Earth Beat…
Ben also plays on two of the deluxe release tracks – drums on Ploughman and percussion on I’ll Think Of Something.

2021 – Paul Weller – Fat Pop (Vol 1)

Ben plays drums and percussion and even provides handclaps across most of the album – True, Fat Pop, Shades of Blue, Glad Times, Testify, That Pleasure, Failed, Moving Canvas, In Better Times and Still Glides The Stream.

You can also hear him on drums for the extras on the deluxe edition – Round the Floor, Crowboy, Pure Sound and Fat Mix…

2022 – Paul Weller & Suggs – Ooh Do U Fink U R

Ben plays drums on this single from June 2022.

The Moons

Ben also plays drums & percussion in The Moons.

2010 – Life on Earth (Paul Weller plays piano on Lost Soul and Last Night on Earth)
2012 – Fables of History
2014 – Mindwaves (Ben also engineered the album, and mixed with Andy Crofts)
2020 – Pocket Melodies (Tunnel of Time was co-written with Paul Weller) – Ben also edited the album.

Other Highlights…

The Songbook Collective
Ben was part of the band with Steve Cradock, Andy Crofts, Andy Lewis and Steve Pilgrim.
Performing , whilst also contributing co-writes to Today and Midnight with Andy Crofts.

Magnus Carlson
Ben played on the Swedish Number One album – Den Långa Vägen Hem (The Long Way Home in English) – which was produced by Andy Lewis, and recorded at Black Barn. The album had Northern Soul vibe around the majority of the tracks, which led to it later being issued as A Nordic Soul with English versions of some of the songs.

Declan O’Rourke
Ben plays drums on Andy Sells Coke and This Thing That We Share from the 2021 Paul Weller produced album Arrivals.

Steve Brookes
Ben plays drums and percussion on most of 2017’s Hoodoo Zoo and 2021’s Tread Gently.

Steve Ellis
Ben plays on the 2018 album Boom! Bang! Twang!
You’ll hear him on drums for the songs – Black Sheep Boy, Sitting in Limbo, Tobacco Ash Sunday, I Forgot to be your Lover and Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying…

The Charlatans
Ben plays drums on Different Days album closer Spinning Out (Paul is on keys, percussion and vocals too.)

P.P. Arnold
Ben plays percussion with Steve Pilgrim on Hold On To Your Dreams for the 2019 album The New Adventures Of….